श्री सत्यनारायण व्रत कथा

How the puja is done
On Purnima, Sankranti or any good day, bathe in the evening and take the vow of the vrat. Decorate a small canopy of banana leaves over a low stool, place a kalash and set a picture of Shri Satyanarayan or a Shaligram on it.
First remember Ganesh ji, then offer panchamrit, tulsi, flowers and a ghee lamp. Make the prasad by mixing flour, ghee, milk, sugar and banana in a measure and a quarter (sawaya).
Listen to all five chapters with your family, do the aarti, give prasad to everyone and take it yourself with respect. Keep the fast only as your health allows.

Chapter One
In the Naimisharanya forest, Shaunak and the other rishis asked Suta ji, “In Kaliyug, how can people who cannot study the Vedas and shastras worship God?” Suta ji told them the katha that Vishnu ji himself had told Narad ji.

Once Narad ji came down to the earth and saw people suffering in many ways because of their own karma. His heart was moved. He went to Vishnu Lok, praised the Lord and said, “Prabhu, please tell me a simple way by which people can be free of sorrow with a little effort.”

The Lord said, “Narad, there is a holy vrat, the vrat of Satyanarayan. Anyone can keep it on any day, in the evening. Let them worship me with faith along with family, friends and Brahmins, offer bhog in a measure and a quarter, listen to the katha, share the prasad and take it themselves, and sing bhajans. In Kaliyug, this is a simple way to join the mind to God.”
Chapter One is complete. Bolo Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan ki Jai!

Chapter Two
In Kashi there lived a poor Brahmin named Shatanand who passed his days by begging. One day the Lord came to him as an old Brahmin, asked about his sorrow, taught him how to keep the Satyanarayan vrat, and vanished. Shatanand made up his mind to keep it. The next day he received good alms, and with that he did the puja with faith along with his relatives. Slowly his troubles went away, and he began to keep this vrat every month.

Once, while the puja was going on at Shatanand’s home, an old woodcutter came by, tired and thirsty. He put his wood down outside and asked, “Maharaj, what is happening here?” The Brahmin said, “This is the vrat of Satyanarayan Bhagwan. By his grace, happiness has come to my home.”

The woodcutter took the prasad and made a vow: “With whatever I earn by selling wood today, I too will keep this vrat.” That day, in the part of town where rich people lived, he got a far better price for his wood than usual. He bought the things for the puja and worshipped with his family with faith. His life too became happy, and in the end he went to the Lord’s abode.
Chapter Two is complete. Bolo Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan ki Jai!

Chapter Three
King Ulkamukh was truthful and generous. One day he and his queen were keeping the Satyanarayan vrat on the bank of the Bhadrashila river, praying for a child. Just then a vaishya, a merchant, named Sadhu came there by boat. Learning about the puja, he said, “I have no child either. When I have a child, I too will keep this vrat.”

After some time his wife Lilavati gave birth to a beautiful daughter, who was named Kalavati. Lilavati reminded her husband of his promise, but Sadhu said, “I will do it at our daughter’s wedding.” When the time came, he married Kalavati to a worthy merchant’s son from Kanchan Nagar, but even then he forgot the vrat. Because he forgot his word, the Lord was displeased, and hard days began for Sadhu.

Sadhu went with his son-in-law to trade in the city of Ratnasarpur by the sea, ruled by King Chandraketu. One day a thief stole the king’s wealth and, to escape the guards, dropped it right where the father-in-law and son-in-law were staying. The guards took the two for thieves and arrested them. Without hearing them out, the king put them in prison and took away their wealth.

Back home, thieves robbed the house too, and the mother and daughter had nothing left even to eat. One day a hungry Kalavati went to a Brahmin’s house where the Satyanarayan puja was going on. She heard the katha, took the prasad, and came home and told her mother. Hearing this, Lilavati too did the puja with faith, along with her family, and prayed, “Prabhu, forgive our mistake. Let my husband and son-in-law come home soon.”

The Lord appeared to King Chandraketu in a dream and said, “Those two merchants are innocent. Free them and return their wealth.” In the morning the king called them with respect, gave them new clothes, and sent them off with twice the wealth he had taken.
Chapter Three is complete. Bolo Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan ki Jai!

Chapter Four
The father-in-law and son-in-law set off for home with a boat full of wealth. On the way the Lord came as a dandi sanyasi, a monk with a staff, and asked, “What is in your boat?” Proud of his wealth, Sadhu laughed and said, “Baba, there are only creepers and leaves in it.” The monk said, “May your words be true,” and went and sat on the shore.

After a while Sadhu saw that the boat had become light and risen in the water, and that it really was full of creepers and leaves. He fainted. When he came to, his son-in-law said, “This is the result of the monk’s words. Let us go and seek his shelter.” Sadhu fell at the monk’s feet and asked forgiveness for his lie. The monk said, “Again and again you promised to worship me and forgot. That is why you had to suffer.” Sadhu folded his hands and said, “Prabhu, how could an ignorant man like me know your ways? From now on I will worship you as well as I can.” The Lord was pleased, and the boat was full of wealth again. The two did the Satyanarayan puja right there and went on.

Near the city, Sadhu sent word home. Lilavati and Kalavati were doing the puja at that time. Lilavati finished the puja and set out to meet her husband, telling her daughter, “Finish the puja and come too.” But in her hurry to see her husband, Kalavati ran to the shore without taking the prasad.

Because the prasad was not respected, the boat, with Kalavati’s husband in it, vanished under the water. Kalavati fell to the ground weeping. Sadhu begged the Lord for forgiveness. Then a voice came from the sky: “Your daughter has left my prasad behind. If she goes home and takes the prasad and comes back, she will find her husband.” Kalavati did just that, and when she came back she saw her husband safe with the boat. From that day Sadhu worshipped Satyanarayan Bhagwan with his family on every Purnima and Sankranti.
Chapter Four is complete. Bolo Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan ki Jai!

Chapter Five
There was a king named Tungadhwaj who cared deeply for his people. One day, coming back from the forest, he saw some cowherds under a banyan tree worshipping Satyanarayan Bhagwan lovingly with their families. Out of pride the king neither went near the puja nor bowed to the Lord. The cowherds offered him prasad with respect, but he left it there and went back to his city.

When he reached his city, he saw that everything he had was ruined and his family was in great trouble. The king understood that this came from disrespecting the prasad. He went straight back to the cowherds, sat with them and worshipped with faith, and took the prasad with respect. By the Lord’s grace, everything became as it was before.

Suta ji also told how these devotees stayed dear to the Lord in their next births. Shatanand the Brahmin became Sudama, the friend of Shri Krishna. The woodcutter became Nishadraj Guh, who served Shri Ram. King Ulkamukh became King Dashrath. Sadhu the merchant became the righteous King Moradhwaj, and King Tungadhwaj became Swayambhuva Manu.
Chapter Five is complete.

This katha teaches us to speak the truth, keep our word, and always respect the Lord’s prasad.
May Satyanarayan Bhagwan keep truth, faith and peace in every heart.
Bolo Shri Satyanarayan Bhagwan ki Jai! Bolo Shri Lakshmi Narayan Bhagwan ki Jai!